Bee group hails call for pesticide ban

Scientists seek to block use of two substances connected to insect deaths

A bee lands on a flower as it pollinates flowers in a garden in Chelsea, Que., Wednesday. Pesticides linked to bee deaths have become a major issue in the agriculture industry, says a Nova Scotia horticultural specialist. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A call from a group of scientists for a ban on two pesticides linked to dead bees created quite a buzz in Nova Scotia on Wednesday.

Any news is good when it comes to restrictions on insect-killing pesticides, said Joe Goetz, president of the Nova Scotia Beekeepers Association.

“In Nova Scotia, we are particularly concerned about the long-term implications of these commonly used pesticides,” Goetz, a Windsor Forks beekeeper, said in an interview.

“Anything that threatens the honey bee population is an issue in a province that is short by about 14,000 hives.”

An advance report from 50 scientists collaborating around the world provided evidence of mass deaths of bees and butterflies linked to neonicotinoids and fipronil.

Members of the Task Force on Systematic Pesticides also flagged a wide range of other environmental concerns linked to the pesticides and called for a gradual phase-out during a news conference in Ottawa.

Healthy and vibrant bee populations and their pollinating activities are critical in agriculture.

“We’re very interested in building up the pollination side of the beekeeping industry in this province and want to keep risks to the bee population to a minimum,” Goetz said.

He said Nova Scotia can build an industry worth more than $4 million annually if the number of hives grows to meet provincial demand.

“Money is pouring out of our province when we’re importing bees for agriculture use, such as blueberries.”

Peter Burgess, a horticultural specialist with Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. in Bible Hill, said use of the pesticides is a major issue in the Ontario agriculture industry.

In that province, they are applied on vast farm fields dedicated specifically to corn and soybean, presenting a greater risk to bee populations. Nova Scotia has smaller farms with greater crop variations, he said.

Various versions of the pesticides are readily available throughout Nova Scotia and they are used regularly in the agriculture industry here, but not to the extent they are used in Ontario and the United States.

“There are many variations of these pesticides and they have many different uses,” Burgess said. “It isn’t likely we’ll see an outright ban any time soon as they fulfil a critical need in agriculture.”

Environmental groups in Canada have lobbied for years against the use of the neonicotinoids class of pesticides, which are often referred to as “neonics.”

The David Suzuki Foundation said in a news release Wednesday that neonics are sometimes used in lawn care products sold in Canada, but the news release did not include any particular brand names.